Statistics to Help You Survive Thanksgiving

Most of us have had to endure holiday dinners when we were forced to keep a conversation alive. And of course there are “rules” in this social endeavor, which usually include a) finding a neutral topic to discuss (no discussion of politics or religion in some families for fear of harsh words, disinheritance or dismemberment by carving knife); or b) find something – anything – to talk about besides how hot it is in Houston during _______ (fill in the blank with any holiday including Thanksgiving and Christmas and the usual suspects such as July 4th and Labor Day).

Believe it or not, help is available from the U.S. Census Bureau. While perhaps not as exciting/disturbing to some folks as the volatility of the stock market, how the Astros will fare in the AL or who Kim Kardashian will marry next, the Census Bureau provides some interesting statistics about Thanksgiving in America.

Take a look at the following items. If there are vegans at the table, you might want to avoid talking about bullets 3-6 or you may be in for a very long evening.

The Pilgrims held a 3 day feast in the fall of 1612 to celebrate an abundant harvest.

In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln designated Thanksgiving as the last Thursday of the month in November. President Franklin Roosevelt later recognized Thanksgiving as the fourth Thursday of the month to encourage earlier holiday shopping when the month has 5 Thursdays.

Minnesota alone will raise approximately 46.5 million turkeys in 2011. [3]

The number of pounds of turkey consumed by the average American in 2009: 13.3 pounds [4]

The pounds of cranberry production forecasted for 2011: 750 million [5]

Wisconsin is the cranberry king with a likely 430 million pound harvest this year.[6]

The number of pounds of sweet potatoes produced in 2010: 2.4 billion [7]

The number of pounds of pumpkins provided by major pumpkin-producing states in 2010: 1.1 billion pounds at a value of $117 million [8]

The number of places in the U.S. named after Thanksgiving’s traditional main course: 4 including Turkey Creek, Louisiana (population 441); Turkey, Texas (population 421); Turkey Creek, Arizona (population 294) and Turkey, North Carolina (292) [9]

The number of U.S. households (potential spots to celebrate Thanksgiving): 116.7 million [10]

Regardless of how much fresh, frozen or tofu turkey we consume this Thursday, Americans as a whole have much to be thankful for.

Of course this is especially true if you live in Houston, home of the currently undefeated University of Houston football team. Make sure there are leftovers set aside to enjoy during Friday’s game and… GO COOGS!